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Selma, Lord, Selma
Selma, Lord, Selma is a 1999 American film based on true events that happened in March 1965, known as Bloody Sunday in Selma, Alabama. The film tells the story through the eyes of an 11-year-old African-American girl named Sheyann Webb (Jurnee Smollett). It was directed by Charles Burnett, one of the pioneers of black American independent cinema. It premiered as a television movie on ABC on January 17, 1999. Plot Sheyann Webb sees Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. going into Brown Chapel AME Church one day while playing outside with her friends. They are told that Dr. King has come to Selma, Alabama to help the Negro people get voting rights. Sheyann learns many things from Dr. King. He teaches her and her friend Rachel (Stephanie Zandra Peyton) that when asked, "Children, what do you want?" their answer should be "Freedom." He also teaches her that everyone deserves to be treated with fairness, regardless of the color of their skin, and that children also have a battle to fight. Sheyann wants to get involved and skips school to sneak into the meetings. One night a friend of Sheyann's named Jimmie Lee Jackson is killed. To draw attention to the death of Jimmie Lee Jackson, it is decided that a 54-mile march to the state capital of Alabama will take place. Marchers will present a petition to Governor Wallace to protest that Negroes are not being treated fairly. On Sunday, March 7, 1965, a day that comes to be called Bloody Sunday, Sheyann and other African-American protesters march over the Edmund Pettus Bridge en route to Montgomery, and are attacked by police. Sheyann is the youngest person to attempt to march. In August, President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to oversee and enforce constitutional rights of suffrage and prevent discriminatory measures, such as use of literacy tests against potential voters. Cast *Jurnee Smollett — Sheyann Webb *Clifton Powell — Martin Luther King, Jr. *Mackenzie Astin - Jonathan Daniels *Ella Joyce — Betty Webb *Yolanda King — Miss Bright *Elisabeth Omilami — Amelia Boynton *Afemo Omilami — John Webb *Brett Rice — Sheriff PotsIn 1965, the actual sheriff of Dallas County, Alabama (which includes the city of Selma) was Jim Clark. *Margo Moorer — Alice West *Von Coulter — Tom West *Laura-Shay Griffin — Sallie Parker *Danny Nelson — Father Whitaker *Faruq Jenkins — Willie *Stephanie Zandra Peyton — Rachel West *Zach Rogers — Jimmie Lee Jackson *L. Warren Young — Hosea Williams *Bob Banks — Reverend Frederick D. Reese *Richard Reed — John Lewis *Ebony Curry — Billy Vickers (CEO) Production Selma, Lord, Selma is based on a book of the same name written in 1980 by Sheyann Webb, Rachel West and Frank Sikora. The full title is Selma, Lord, Selma: Girlhood Memories of the Civil-Rights Days. It was published by the University of Alabama Press in Tuscaloosa, AL. It is written in the style of memoirs by Sheyann and Rachel.https://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=21025565 Selma, Lord, Selma was made into a movie. Walt Disney Pictures picked it up and on January 17, 1999, one day prior to the national holiday commemorating Dr. King's birthday, it was broadcast on the ABC television network. Dr. King's daughter Yolanda is featured in the film as Miss Bright, Sheyann's teacher who marches with Sheyann in the back of the march. Music composed by Stephen James Taylor, with vocals by Brides of the Wind. Reception The Philadelphia Tribune praised the portrayal of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Clifton Powell and the "…heart-wrenching performance" by Jurnee Smollett. The Boston Globe criticized it: "…never rises above the level of a Classic Comics version of civil rights history", while The Rocky Mountain News said: "(Selma) …offers a sense of authenticity…". Awards and nominations In 1999, Cynthia Whitcomb, the author, was nominated for the Humanitas Prize. The category was Best 90-minute film. The winner was NYPD Blue. Selma, Lord, Selma also was nominated for an Image Award in 2000. The category was Outstanding Television Movie/Miniseries/Dramatic Special. See also *''Selma'', a 2014 film featuring the Selma to Montgomery marches and some of the same events and characters. * African-American Civil Rights Movement in popular culture References External links * Category:American drama films Category:English-language films Category:Walt Disney Pictures films Category:Films based on biographies Category:Films about race and ethnicity Category:Selma to Montgomery marches Category:American biographical films Category:American films Category:Films shot in Alabama Category:Films set in Alabama Category:Films based on actual events Category:Films set in the 1960s Category:African-American civil rights movement (1954–68) in television Category:1999 television films Category:Films directed by Charles Burnett (director) Category:Films about Martin Luther King Jr.